Started and finished it yesterday. Grabbed my husband after and looked deep into his eyes. "You love me, right? And in a normal non-psycho way? Right?". (shaking him by his shoulders while he looks around, bewildered, for help, perhaps from the dog). "It's really you in there, right? And not some version of you? And some new version is not going to kill me in my sleep, right? RIGHT??!!?"

This book made me feel like I needed to bathe and then go find a baby bunny to pat. So glad I read it

I took it that Nick knew, very soon after they married, what he had gotten himself into. He still loved her though in a very dysfunctional way.
The first half of that book was the fake Amy, the second half is the Amy that Nick knew. Oh, boy!_________________"As you wish"
~The Princess Bride

I loved how the I went from thinking Nick was a total A-hole monster to rooting for him to out smart her by the end. To be able to start the novel with one hero and villian and end with a completely different view. What a master.
Flynn nailed the female sociopath perfectly! Can you image marrying someone only to realize they have no conscience, no morals, no soul. What a nightmare.

I can appreciate wanting to bathe after reading this book. That and reach for a comfort read. Needed a happy ending after reading this book.

Yet it is strange ,after writing the above sentence, I still think it may be one of the best books I've read all year:) I am recommending it to everyone.

I loved how the I went from thinking Nick was a total A-hole monster to rooting for him to out smart her by the end. To be able to start the novel with one hero and villian and end with a completely different view. What a master.

It was actually even more of a roller-coaster than that for me.

For the first couple of chapters I thought Nick was this awesome funny guy, wasn't so sure about Amy. Then, started questioning Nick - thinking, hrm, after reading more about Amy I need to remember there ARE two sides to every relationship. Then thinking..."Nick is kind of an ass." He's a jerk but not a killer. Then thinking...Amy's so sweet, and I'm a little scared for her. Maybe Nick really had some sort of psychotic break....Then thinking, dear God, he really is going to kill her.
Then thinking - OH MY GOD. RUN NICK! RUN! I'm so sorry I doubted you!

Then ending it all by thinking..."WTF, Nick?" You're an idiot if you do not kidnap the baby and move to Mexico. So by the end of the book the author has me advocating kidnapping. So-..good job, I think.

Also, I had kind of guessed about the stolen sperm a few chapters ahead, but...I mean - does sperm keep that long? Doesn't it take some kind of industrial freezer or can you just store it next to the Lean Cuisines and it'll keep?

I loved how the I went from thinking Nick was a total A-hole monster to rooting for him to out smart her by the end. To be able to start the novel with one hero and villian and end with a completely different view. What a master.
Flynn nailed the female sociopath perfectly! Can you image marrying someone only to realize they have no conscience, no morals, no soul. What a nightmare.

.

Yes, Flynn got the Crazy Amy thing down perfectly. And I agree with you about Nick. For many chapters, I thought that he killed her, but something niggled that the view was just to easy. I didn't expect Flynn to turn the tables. Didn't see that coming. Genius._________________"As you wish"
~The Princess Bride

Then ending it all by thinking..."WTF, Nick?" You're an idiot if you do not kidnap the baby and move to Mexico. So by the end of the book the author has me advocating kidnapping. So-..good job, I think.

Also, I had kind of guessed about the stolen sperm a few chapters ahead, but...I mean - does sperm keep that long? Doesn't it take some kind of industrial freezer or can you just store it next to the Lean Cuisines and it'll keep?

I agree, take that baby and run...hmmm a sequel- Gone Baby:)

See I bought the stolen frozen sperm. Amy was meticulous. If she researched how to drain a toilet to preserve pregnancy pee, she most definitely researched the exact temperature to freeze sperm and tested out her freezer. Can't you see her sticking a thermometer in freezer, and calmly sitting at the kitchen table, sipping coffee while waiting for a reading?

I loved loved the parts where Nick called on her former stalker and rapist. Chilling. Do you think he had any idea how crazy she was? I got the sense that he knew she was spiteful, but had no clue how deeply it ran.

It was an amazing ride. Not a misplaced or wasted word. Even as I started seeing how malicious Amy was, the end still knocked me senseless. I'd like to believe that Nick didn't destroy every copy of his manuscript._________________Diana

It was an amazing ride. Not a misplaced or wasted word. Even as I started seeing how malicious Amy was, the end still knocked me senseless. I'd like to believe that Nick didn't destroy every copy of his manuscript.

I didn't see that ending coming either. For a moment I thought Amy would be brought down, but it wasn't to be.
Fun book to discuss with people who have read it._________________"As you wish"
~The Princess Bride

I'd love to hear why you disliked it so much - I love getting a different perspective!

It definitely made me sick to my stomach, but I was very entertained.

Hi, Jessi. Most of my dislike is that it just wasn't believable. I never for one moment believed that Nick killed Amy...funny that the book was called Gone Girl...not Dead Girl. The science of today would discredit much of the 'evidence' Amy created, IMO. I do think that it would make a good dark comedy, if the movie does get made.

I loved this book, too. It's an amazing achievement for the author and I was incredibly impressed with the pacing, the prose, and the humor.

The ending was deeply disturbing (the idea of that woman being someone's mother is truly terrifying, although I think Nick could balance her out and be a decent parent) and yet, perfect. If it had ended with one triumphing over the other it would have been dissatisfying and cliched. The best moment, imo, is when Nick tells Amy he feels sorry for her because she has to wake up as herself every day. That line more than anything else had the power to zing Amy, and it also managed to humanize her--just a bit.

The best moment, imo, is when Nick tells Amy he feels sorry for her because she has to wake up as herself every day. That line more than anything else had the power to zing Amy, and it also managed to humanize her--just a bit.

Yes, I remember that line. When I read that I remember thinking that he has to wake up with her everyday too and that would be just as bad. I cringed at Amy being a parent. So unstable, so crazy. yikes._________________"As you wish"
~The Princess Bride